Karanj /Pongame Oil Tree
Native Trees

Botanical Name: Pongamia pinnata

A fast-growing deciduous tree up to 20 meters tall, originated in India and is found throughout Asia.
I came across many times this tree i have seen its many phases and it is very versatile i have seen its connection to humans as well as other species.
In Mumbai Post monsoon i came across a small karanj tree while i was going on the morning walk and something pulled my attention over it and i saw common Banded awl butterfly was laying on the tender leaves of the karanj, that time i was super excited and cliked the photos and took the eggs along with me feeling was like i have found the treasure😃

                                                 

The Common Banded Awl female laying eggs on the tender leaves of karanj tree.

                   
Than i reared those eggs and learnt many thing about this butterfly that they weave the leaf to hide them self and while becoming pupa they release some kind of powder coating on them.It was the great experience.
                                               

Caterpillar weave the leaf to hide

                                  

 I am Hungry

                                                                     

powder Coating on pupa

                                                         

After few days the beautiful Common Banded awl butterfly emerged🐛

                                                 
                         

                                               

Life Cycle of Common Banded Awl

Right now i am in Jharkhand again one day while i was going on the morning walk i saw one man who was collecting the seeds of the karanj.So i asked him that what you will do with all this seeds he replied that he will sell them in market for Rs.25/- kg.Than asked him what they will do with it he replied that they will extract oil out it and which is here locally specially used in Diwali for burning lamps and it also has many medicinal value it is applied on the joint pain and the wound.

Man busy in Collecting Seeds

                                                        


Karanja is increasingly used for oil production due to its use in bio-diesel. The oil was formerly used for lighting, as a raw material for soaps, varnishes and paints, to repel insects in storage installments, and as a mosquito repellent . Karanj wood can be used for fuel, and the resulting ashes as a dyeing agent. Roots yield pinnatin, a dyeing pigment. The bark is fibrous and can be turned into rope. The leaves are potential sources of fodder. The fragrant flowers are a source of pollen and nectar from which bees produce dark honey. The karanj tree hosts lac insects and is valued as an ornamental plant. Many parts of the tree are used in ethnomedicine. The karanj tree is an important species for afforestation. Leaf shedding produces large amounts of organic litter.
Oil extraction yields a press cake that can be used as a fertilizer or as animal feed for ruminants and poultry .

Environmental impact
Afforestation and soil reclamation
Karanj is promoted as being able to produce oil on poor, degraded or saline soils . Karanj trees have been used for soil reclamation around coal mines and re vegetation in India.

Now the Rakhee is coming so i made seed Rakhee from karanj seeds.

Karanj Seeds

                                                                   

This is how the trees are our best friends we are connected to them deeply on every level but we don't see them sometime in that angle.
So Happy Friendship day to all of you.
Love Trees❤😍


Dhara Thakkar
A naturalist ECO Entrepreneur, Specialist in Organic
Farming, Developing butterfly garden, promoting
sustainable living, working for the conservation of bees
and bird.

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